o-verb-stem kudasai (お〜ください): Beginner’s Guide to Respectful “Please Do” in Japanese

Introduction

You already know basic “please” in Japanese—〜てください.
But when you must ask a customer, guest, or professor to do something, you upgrade to the respectful pattern お／ご + verb-stem + ください. It sounds gracious without being stiff. Let’s learn how to use it!

1. Structure & Meaning

Pattern

• お + verb-stem + ください
• ご + noun-する stem + ください

To create respectful requests or advice, use the お + verb stem + ください structure.
Generally speaking, verbs with two kanji characters (XXする verbs) are rather irregular;
some of them take ご, and ください follows directly after the kanji part.

Meaning

“Please kindly do … (respectfully)”

gokigen penguin

Crucially, this pattern is used when you are making a request or giving an instruction to a person you respect (e.g., a customer, a teacher, your boss). The subject of the action is the listener.

2. How to Form It

1. Find the verb-stem (drop ます from the polite form).
2. Add お in front (or ご for many する compounds).
3. Add ください after the stem.

Choosing お vs ご

• お → native Japanese verbs (e.g. 読よむ、待まつ)
  • Correct: お読みください、お待ちください
  • We never say ご読みください、ご待ちください
• ご → most kanji + する verbs (e.g. 説明せつめいする、連絡れんらくする)
  • Correct: ご説明ください、ご連絡ください
  • We never say お説明ください、お連絡ください

3. Example Sentences

1. [Train station announcement]
   まもなく発車はっしゃします。扉とびらにご注意ちゅういください。
   The train will be departing shortly. Please be careful of the doors.
2. [At the hotel front desk]
   こちらに お名前なまえをご記入きにゅうください。
   Please write your name here. (“記入 Kinyuu” means to fill in or write down information in a designated space, such as on a form, application, or document.)
3. チェックアウトの際さいは、フロントへお電話でんわください。
   At check-out, please call the front desk.
4. [At a cake shop, speaking to a customer]
   こちらは当店とうてんで 一番いちばん 人気にんきの商品しょうひんです。どうぞお召めし上あがりください。
   This is our most popular item. Please enjoy it. (“当店” here refers to the cake shop where the speaker works.)

4. Practice Time!

Convert each cue into a respectful request.

Challenge: Make polite requests with 入いれる, 呼よぶ, 注意ちゅういする.

5. Common Mistakes

gokigen penguin

The phrase “otabe kudasai” (お食べください) is sometimes used in casual or informal speech among native Japanese speakers, and its meaning is generally understood.

However, “omeshiagari kudasai” (お召し上がりください) is a more polite and appropriate honorific expression, especially in formal settings such as restaurants or when speaking to guests. It is generally preferred.

6. FAQ

Conclusion

With お／ご + verb-stem + ください you can:

• ✅ Give respectful advice and requests to customers, teachers, or seniors
• ✅ Choose お for native verbs, ご for most する compounds
• ✅ Avoid double honorifics and prefix errors

Practice turning everyday instructions into this pattern—soon your polite Japanese will sound smooth and professional!